Xpeng Unveils IRON: Cutting-Edge Humanoid Robot Boasts Unprecedented Smoothness and AI Power
Guangzhou, China — November 2025 — At its AI Day event held on November 5th at Xpeng Science Park in Guangzhou, Chinese electric vehicle and robotics pioneer Xpeng Motors introduced its latest breakthrough humanoid robot, named IRON. This highly advanced machine stunned audiences with its remarkably fluid and lifelike movements, so much so that company representatives performed an onstage dissection to prove no human was concealed inside.
IRON features a revolutionary design incorporating a flexible, humanlike spine and bionic muscles, combined with fully covered flexible skin that enables smooth, agile, and naturalistic motions. It operates with 82 degrees of freedom—including 22 in each hand—allowing a broad range of bending, pivoting, and gesturing throughout its body, a significant leap toward human-equivalent dexterity and expression.
Powered by a trio of custom AI chips delivering a combined 2,250 trillion operations per second (TOPS), IRON stands among the most computationally powerful humanoid robots developed to date. This enormous processing ability enables real-time interpretation of visual information and situational responses without needing intermediate translation into language—reflecting an advanced artificial intelligence architecture optimized for embodied physical interaction.
In the demonstration, IRON’s smooth and model-like swagger drew awe and skepticism alike. To settle doubts, Xpeng sliced into the robot onstage, revealing intricate internal mechanisms rather than any hidden operator. This symbolic gesture underscored the authenticity of the machine’s humanlike movements and its capabilities as a completely autonomous humanoid.
He Xiaopeng, Xpeng chairman and CEO, highlighted IRON’s design as intentionally human in form, albeit slightly uncanny. He framed Xpeng’s evolution from purely electric vehicle manufacturing to a global leader in “embodied intelligence” and “physical AI” as integral to the company’s future vision.
IRON’s unveiling aligns with Xpeng’s broader disclosures at the event, where they also showcased next-generation Robotaxi services, upgraded flying systems, and innovations in AI-driven mobility, signaling a comprehensive commitment to shaping the future of physical AI in real-world applications.
This breakthrough arrives amid China’s rapidly intensifying humanoid robotics sector, with companies like Unitree Robotics unveiling similarly sophisticated machines such as their H2 Destiny Awakening robot. Unitree’s creation focuses on biomechanics-inspired movement with 31 articulated joints that produce cinematic, fluid motion improved from prior models. However, IRON’s higher degree of freedom and immense AI computation spotlight Xpeng’s edge in integrated intelligence and physicality.
While many humanoid robots excel in locomotion and basic manipulation, delicate tasks requiring fine motor skill remain challenging. IRON’s advanced hand articulation and sensorimotor systems push boundaries toward performing complex gestures with greater nuance, potentially opening doorways to industrial, research, or even home environments.
Experts view IRON as emblematic of a coming era where humanoid robots transition beyond tools to semi-autonomous agents capable of understanding and interacting dynamically with their surroundings—through continuous AI evolution rather than preprogrammed routines.
Xpeng’s IRON robot thus exemplifies the vanguard of humanoid robotics, blending mechanical agility, AI sophistication, and design aesthetics to convincingly bridge the gap between man and machine. The company projects mass production plans, underscoring that this physical AI revolution is no longer a distant vision but an imminent reality.